Dead, something electrical....

[Bert Patterson]

So, this morning I went out and fired it up. Let it warm up a few minutes, then shut it off. When I was ready to head to work, I tried to start it. The dashlights came on when I turned the key, then it clicked when I hit the button. This happens sometimes, so I took off the seat and tightened the battery connections. Still nothing, no lights, no click, no nothing…….

Lately the low beams haven’t been working, so I just use the highbeams ‘til I fix it.

Push started it and it started – sort of. It was like it was running on one cylinder and the lights on the dash were flickering. When I turned off the highbeams, it died. Pushed it again and sputtered around the block back to my driveway, with the occasional pow through the exhaust of unignited fuel.

Don’t know what it is, but I expect it has something to do with the connection in the headlight. I’ll check the fuses when I get home, look in the headlight for anything obvious…..

Any ideas? I’m not great at maintenance and this beast (’82 GS1100E) always does what it’s told and runs great (normally), but there are folks here that know this stuff in their sleep, so………

[rustybronco]

Bert, what is the battery voltage reading?
(I'm going home now, back in a few)

[Bert Patterson]

Bert, what is the battery voltage reading?
(I'm going home now, back in a few)

This I do not know.

[rustybronco]

how were the fuses?

do you have a battery charger, or another vehicle and some jumper cables?
if you have just the jumper cables, connect them to a non running vehicle let your bike "charge" from the vehicle for a while then try to start your bike. what happens then?

If you don't have jumper cables, 12 gauge romex makes a poor mans set of jumper cables, just keep the polarity correct!

[Big T]

This I do not know.

That's probably it - the battery died

[Baatfam]

Anybody you can borrow a volt meter from? Or run out and pick up a cheap one...you can get a functional meter for $15-20...

But the battery would be the first suspect...assuming its more than a couple of years old...

[rustybronco]

charging system... my bet.
or a bad ground.

[Bert Patterson]

I haven't checked anything yet. I've been lotsa dad. I'll go out in the morning. The battery is a year old. It was very strong when I started it first thing in the morning, then after shutting it off for twenty minutes, I turned the key and hit the button and it all died. When I push started it, it barely ran on one lung (though not at all like a great '20s one lunger launch......really sh!tty).

[GS550ES-Hank]

Mine's done this before, loose main fuse or otherwise loose wiring causing the battery to not supply power. I ended up taking my side panels off so I could jiggle the fuse if it wanked out on me during test rides.

[Bert Patterson]

Thank you, thank you............I will ammuse my daughter in the morning while I poke around. I really don't like to go a full day without a bike...it's probably why I always used to have at least two, but I don't right now.

[Bert Patterson]

I suck, but this bike never ceases to amaze me. Checked the battery, checked fuses, checked other stuff............it was the point on the negative terminal where the cable meets the little ring-thing. It had electrical tape around it, but had pulled apart. Took it apart, reattached it, crimped it, perfect.......

[Griffin]

I suck, but this bike never ceases to amaze me. Checked the battery, checked fuses, checked other stuff............it was the point on the negative terminal where the cable meets the little ring-thing. It had electrical tape around it, but had pulled apart. Took it apart, reattached it, crimped it, perfect.......

This is a good illustration of how a lot of us here (and I include myself) tend to overanalyze problems, particularly electrical ones on our bikes.

Loose wires/corroded connectors should always be the first thing checked, as they're far and away the most common issues on a 25-30 year old bike. There may be other issues that pop up eventually, but no matter how well your stator is charging or your regulator is regulating or your battery is cranking, it's all for naught if the electrons can't get to where they're supposed to go.

Don't take this wrong Bert, but as a relative "dummy", you "didn't know any better" and fixed your problem quickly.

[reddirtrider]

Way to go Bert!

[Giblet]

Sounds familiar. Bathsheba refused to even click yesterday. While removing the solenoid yesterday, I noticed the coil wire I had inadvertantly unplugged the night before. Bada bing, bada bang. Problem solved .

Don't you wish they were all that easy ?

I suck, but this bike never ceases to amaze me. Checked the battery, checked fuses, checked other stuff............it was the point on the negative terminal where the cable meets the little ring-thing. It had electrical tape around it, but had pulled apart. Took it apart, reattached it, crimped it, perfect.......

[Billy Ricks]

Good job Bert. As Brett already pointed out we tend to expect the worst when it comes to electrical gremlins on these bikes. It usually ends up being something simple.